Internet Archive's in-browser audio with external links "theater" requires JavaScript to be enabled. It appears your browser does not have it turned on. Please see your browser settings for this feature.

Old Time Radio : Billy Bunter

Topics: Old Time Radio, OTR, Comedy, Billy Bunter
Item Size: 643.4M

UPDATED IN 2025 - See foot of page

Recordings related to Billy Bunter, a fictional character created in 1908 in a boy's weekly story paper in England.

The recordings feature Billy Bunter of Greyfriars School, known as 'The Fat Owl of the Remove', a fictional character created in 1908 by Charles Hamilton (writing under the pen name Frank Richards) for the boys weekly story paper The Magnet, published in London by the Amalgamated Press from 1908 until 1940.

These recordings include old time radio shows based on stories from The Magnet; documentaries about the characters who appeared in those stories; and recordings made by Bunter's creator, Charles Hamilton, from an LP titled Floreat Greyfriars issued following his death in 1961.

Upgraded: See foot of page for details.

Good Old Greyfriars

22 September 1981
19:50-20:35
BBC Radio 4 FM

The fat owl of the Remove, still hungry, still in trouble, still waiting for that mythical postal order. Forty years ago 'The Magnet' ceased publication, but the Greyfriars Men go marching on.

A portrait by NORMAN LONGMATE of the famous school and its creator Frank Richards.

Narrator DAVID MAHLOWE
Reader GEOFFREY WHEELER
The voice of FRANK RICHARDS from the disc 'Floreat Greyfriars'
The school song specially recorded by boys of MANCHESTER GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Producer STANLEY WILLIAMSON
BBC Manchester

Contributors -
Written by Norman Longmate
Presented by David Mahlowe
Reader Geoffrey Wheeler
Interviewee Frank Richards

Saturday-Night Theatre:
Billy Bunter's Christmas Party
by Frank Richards

Dramatised by Rob Gittins

Saturday 13 December 1986, 19:00
BBC Radio 4 FM

A holiday with Bunter's family? The Famous Five can think of nothing worse. But the fat owl outflanks them once again, and they're booked for Christmas at Tankerton Hall, where a malevolent ghost is the least of their concerns.

Directed by Adrian Mourby
BBC Wales
Stereo

William George Bunter ... Hugh Thomas
Bessie Bunter .................. Erica Eirian
Bob Cherry ...................... David Parfttt
Harry Wharton ................ Simon Hewitt
Quelch/Brown ................. Philip Bond
Uncle Carter ................... Ivor Roberts
Squiff .............................. Lee Galpin
Nugent ............................ Paul Wilce
Bull/Smith ...................... Spencer Banks
Hurree Singh .................. Sam Dastor
Hubert/Mauly ................ Cornelius Garrett

The Billy Bunter Stories

The recordings made by The Goodies in the 1990s.

Tim Brooke-Taylor, Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie read six Billy Bunter stories by Frank Richards. A Rewind Production for BBC Radio 2, broadcast in 1993.

1. Bunter the Hero: The fat owl, the old fat foozler, the immortal chump of Greyfriars School, William George Bunter, and his chums from the Remove, are brought back to life by another group of pranksters in this story from Bunter The Bad Lad.

2. Billy Bunter Afloat: Billy Bunter and his chums are spending the holidays on the river Thames. Someone has lent Bunter a boat -- or have they?

3. Billy Bunter On Trial: William George Bunter of Greyfriars School faces a form trial. With Lord Mauleverer presiding as judge, will the Fat Owl of the Remove get off?

4. Bunter in Brazil: The immortal chump and his form mates from Greyfriars School join Lord Mauleverer on a trip to Brazil.

5. Bunter's Night Out: Billy Bunter and his chums in the Remove decide to take a short cut through Popper Court Woods -- forbidden territory to pupils at Greyfriars School. Extracted from Billy Bunter and the Blue Mauritius.

6. Chunkley's Stores: Bunter is on the trail of tuck. The Owl of the Remove is about to pull off the greatest wheeze ever attempted at Greyfriars School.

Whatever Happened to Horace Henry Samuel Quelch

Saturday 2 July 1994, 10:00-10:30
BBC Radio 4 FM

Comedy. A spoof documentary, made in 1994. Purports to tell the story of Mr Quelch, Bunter's form master, after he retired from teaching, and the post-Greyfriars careers of Bunter and some of his classmates.

Did Henry Samuel Quelch, the scourge of Greyfriars School, really become a secret agent? Stars Nigel Davenport and Andrew Sachs.

Written by Adrian Mourby
Producer Brian King

Quelch ........................ Andrew Sachs

Major Vernon Smith .... Nigel Davenport
Lord Bunter of Hove ... Gerald Campion
Harry Wharton MP ...... Peter Woodthorpe
Sir Johnny Bull ............ Cyril Shaps

Alonzo Todd ................ Jonathan Tafler
Prof Edwin McHatter ... Kerry Shale
Dr Anna Safanner ......... Eva Haddon

Upgrade #1: High Quality files

The following recordings in this collection have been upgraded to better quality (higher bitrate) versions --

• Saturday Night Theatre - 1986-12-13 - Billy Bunter's Christmas Party

• Whatever Happened To - 1994-07-02 - Horace Henry Samuel Quelch

Upgrade #2: Gerald Campion recordings

The following radio recordings have been added to this collection.

A set of recordings featuring Gerald Campion, the actor who played Bunter for ten years in the BBC television series Billy Bunter of Greyfriars School, which ran on tv from 1952 until 1961. These files are listed under the heading 'TV Series features'.

• Start The Week with Richard Baker - 1980-05-05 - Guest: Gerald Campion

Other guests: Gyles Brandreth, Nicholas Parsons

• Famous For 15 Minutes - 1991-04-30 - Gerald Campion

• Brief Lives - 2002-07-21 - Gerald Campion (Obituary)

Upgrade #3: Henry Samuel Quelch documentary

Another upgraded recording of the 1994 spoof documentary about Mr Quelch, with improved audibility, has been added to this collection: this item is the 128 kbps recording in mp3 format.

This comedy supposedly recounts Quelch's career after he retires as a schoolmaster. Features Gerald Campion's final appearance as Bunter, playing Lord Bunter of Hove.

Kindly donated in 2025 by the GBCC radio show preservation group.

• Whatever Happened to Horace Henry Samuel Quelch - 1994-07-02

Upgrade #4: Documentary - The Centenary of Billy Bunter

One file in iTunes .m4a format @ 128 kbps has been added to this collection, celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the publication in 1908 of the 1st edition of The Magnet, in which the first story about Bunter was published :

• The Magnet Centenary - 2008-02-19 - Billy Bunter's Birthday Bash